LOCH NESS PROJECT ARCHIVE OF RESEARCH AND
INVESTIGATION AT LOCH NESS

Simply a list and thequickest way to find a
publicationor study where the author is known.
Links are provided where possible. University course dissertations
are included, though links are currently to abstracts
only. Copies are generally held by the Project Library
at Loch Ness 2000.

Mainly the investigations of the Loch
Ness Monster controversy and as its name suggests, is
a chronological history with the source references inserted
and linked where possible. Because it is designed to show
the evolution of method and thought, departures are made
from the historical chronology where it seems relevant.

Emphasis on geography and the general scientific
research which has been carried out at lochs Ness and
Morar. Different aspects are drawn together and linked as
above.

Some
of the archives are pdf files and you will need ACROBAT
READER which is free from the Adobe site -GET
ACROBAT READERhUUse
keyboard arrows to navigate and the magnifying tool to
enlarge the view.

The archive is restricted
to expeditions or other studies where authoritative reports
or published papers have been produced. Thus, newspaper
material is only used where it is authored by the investigators
themselves and in one case where a newspaper reporter
was himself a principal investigator.

Sometimes it has not been
possible, for copyright or other reasons, to include an
important item. Books, for example, or some journal
publications have simply been referenced. For the same
reason most items are reproduced in a PDF secure (read
only) form. Where possible the material retains its original
appearance but some is rearranged for screen viewing.
If necessary, documents have been digitally retouched
for legibility. The kind assistance given by the copyright
holders is gratefully acknowledged.

Editorial bias: The
inclusion of items mostly reflects whether material is
considered "diligent" and it is hoped that no injustice
has been done. The remaining scope for bias lies within
those passages which attempt to link the pages of the
archive and to demonstrate interaction or debate within
them. These passages may reflect the author's personal
opinions.

The
Archive Room

"That which is strange
is delightful, and a pleasing error is not willingly detected"

"Natural Philosophy is now one of the favourite
studies of the Scottish nation and

Lough Ness well deserves
to be diligently examined"

Dr. Samuel Johnson 1775

These comments were written
after a single ride along the shores of Loch Ness in
August 1773, yet together, they define the underlying
dilemma of mystery in human society. All of us are drawn
to mysteries, yet those most drawn, are those most likely
to study them, understand them and ultimately perhaps,
to explain them.

Dr. Johnson was not writing
about Loch Ness Monsters; there is no evidence that he
ever heard of them. He was actually showing scepticism
about the loch's reputation for never freezing; just one
of many mysteries addressed by those who were to answer
his challenge.

This archive, drawn from a
century of remarkably "diligent" examination, aims to
draw together what has been placed on record by a diverse
range of researchers.

Loch Ness is of considerable
intrinsic scientific interest as Britain's greatest volume
of freshwater. However, it is famous on account of the
popular "monster" controversy.

It is the interplay between
these two factors which has made the study of Loch Ness
unique. The editor does not differentiate between material
that is scientific in general and material that may be
controversial in particular. Those who have tilted at
dragons have often been at pains to understand the environment
they worked in, while general scientific discoveries have
shone unexpected light into the controversy.